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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-12-2013 05:10 AM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Fool

What were you using for blades? Freud Diablo or ?
I have seen the carbide blades but never could pull the trigger due to the price.

Sorry, I can't remember the brand, but those suckers were about ten bucks each. First one fried itself right through and finally got thin and broke, the second just wore out but I managed to fight it through till the pin popped, and I was working the blade to make maximum usage of as much of the abrasive surface as I could reach in there, but I think that big old nasty spring around the latch bolt was giving the things a workout

I cant be sure considering the combination of metals involved, but I'd be hard pressed to say that those carbide blades are any better than the regular metal cutting blades, in fact, i think next time im going to save my money. I shouldnt think that it should take 2 blades to get through basically half a spring and most of a roughly 1/2" hardened bolt ( it didnt go all the way through but with about 1/16" left the bolt cocked sideways and I could pop it from there )

I may break down and grab another one just to do a side by side test just to make sure, hardened bolts can be ornery. The decades of rust on that thing may be clouding my judgement.

02-10-2013 06:46 PM

Old Fool

Quote:

Originally Posted by RLDSL

Well, we got it open. After messing with it enough, we finally got the hood to pry open enough to be able to get a sawzall blade in there. They made that latch bolt out of REAL metal, went through two brand new carbide blades to slice one latch bolt, but it finally gave way to reveal a shockingly clean engine compartment in relation to the amount of rust and animal nesting that had taken over the rest of the poor thing.

Since were just looking to turn this into a driver with a mild restoration and not go nuts on it, it's beginning to look like not too bad a project.

Then we got a real treat, on cleaning out the nests from the back seat, we found a brand new rear fender to replace one that was damaged along with some other interesting artifacts..... like the complete operating mechanism from an old player piano , including the whole works from under the keyboard

What were you using for blades? Freud Diablo or ?
I have seen the carbide blades but never could pull the trigger due to the price.

02-10-2013 07:33 AM

deadbodyman

LOL, yeah thats a first for me too

02-09-2013 12:03 AM

MARTINSR

Brilliant solution to the hood problem. And interesting find there, I have heard of a lot of stuff being found in old cars, a player piano is not one of them.

Brian

02-08-2013 11:50 PM

RLDSL

Well, we got it open. After messing with it enough, we finally got the hood to pry open enough to be able to get a sawzall blade in there. They made that latch bolt out of REAL metal, went through two brand new carbide blades to slice one latch bolt, but it finally gave way to reveal a shockingly clean engine compartment in relation to the amount of rust and animal nesting that had taken over the rest of the poor thing.

Since were just looking to turn this into a driver with a mild restoration and not go nuts on it, it's beginning to look like not too bad a project.

Then we got a real treat, on cleaning out the nests from the back seat, we found a brand new rear fender to replace one that was damaged along with some other interesting artifacts..... like the complete operating mechanism from an old player piano , including the whole works from under the keyboard

01-27-2013 12:30 PM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Yeah the grille is typically going to be damaged pretty bad so replacement is likely. So the grille would be the one to sacrifice. But if the grille is nice, welding a hole backup in the hood, or fender would be easier to repair. But coming up from the bottom cutting a hole in the splash panel would be the best way to go I would think. Chopping a large hole in it with a die grinder and going up thru there sounds like a good way to go, the panel could be repaired easy or pick another one up, a heck of a lot cheaper than the hood I would think.

Brian

unfortunately the grill is perfectly straight, , THats one piece we dont want to tear up.

01-27-2013 12:26 PM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldBodyman

From the pics you linked to it looks like a simple spring catch like an old VW bug
SO
drill a 1' hole in the splash pan and run a long screw driver up to the spring then have a friend run another screw driver thru the grille to work the first against the spring and open the hood. Remember the hinges are rusty, open slowly, don't bend the hood.

Have fun with it.

After looking at it.... A lot, that's starting to sound like a winner . Ive got a large set of metal holesaws so I should be able to replace the removed plug cleanly (or leave it open as an emergency release access for the future :- )At least I did have the good sense to shoot down the hood hinges and springs with lube before I shut the thing so it * should* open cleanly once we get the latch problem out of the way. I had shot some down the hood release mechinisms as well, but I didn't think that there was a remote release cable on that year and didn't think to check for operation.

01-27-2013 08:34 AM

oldBodyman

From the pics you linked to it looks like a simple spring catch like an old VW bug
SO
drill a 1' hole in the splash pan and run a long screw driver up to the spring then have a friend run another screw driver thru the grille to work the first against the spring and open the hood. Remember the hinges are rusty, open slowly, don't bend the hood.

Have fun with it.

01-27-2013 07:36 AM

da34guy

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

Yeah the grille is typically going to be damaged pretty bad so replacement is likely. So the grille would be the one to sacrifice. But if the grille is nice, welding a hole backup in the hood, or fender would be easier to repair. But coming up from the bottom cutting a hole in the splash panel would be the best way to go I would think. Chopping a large hole in it with a die grinder and going up thru there sounds like a good way to go, the panel could be repaired easy or pick another one up, a heck of a lot cheaper than the hood I would think.

Brian

X2 Easiest way

01-27-2013 07:28 AM

MARTINSR

Yeah the grille is typically going to be damaged pretty bad so replacement is likely. So the grille would be the one to sacrifice. But if the grille is nice, welding a hole backup in the hood, or fender would be easier to repair. But coming up from the bottom cutting a hole in the splash panel would be the best way to go I would think. Chopping a large hole in it with a die grinder and going up thru there sounds like a good way to go, the panel could be repaired easy or pick another one up, a heck of a lot cheaper than the hood I would think.

Brian

01-27-2013 06:47 AM

deadbodyman

If you cant remove the grill with the hood closed I think I'd sacrifice the grill...

01-26-2013 07:19 PM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by buicfrank

Why not just cut a hole in your hood about the size of your fist on the side of the release. Reach in do your releasing and sew up the hole. My 02 cents. Frank

THat would be the last resort. I hate to tear into perfect body panels that old So far the only major damage is on 3 fenders ( easily accessed )and the floorboard near teh drivers side where someone thought it would be a great place to store salt licks at one time The rest is in shockingly good shape, wheels all turn, suspension bushings all still pliable, driveshaft turns with no binding. interior is a goner ( the field mice had it good ), but dash is in restorable shape.

I probably would have left the thing down there, but my son fell in love with it, Soo.

01-26-2013 07:08 PM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by killeratrod

case of beer to one of your friends = trailer or tow truck to bring her up the hill.

Unfortunately tow trucks , flatbeds etc cant even get them quite into where they need to be ( ive got a 32ft enclosed hauler, but I can only load and unload to the road with the truck still hooked, not enough room to manuver it otherwise ). Before I retired, I ran a shop out of there for years and everytime a car came in on a hook, they'd have to drop them on the road uphill, jump in the drivers seat and roll them down to the lift area gravity style. Works great when you have brakes :-) Ive got a nice big tractor and a truck with a winch to push and pull, I just get uncomfortable on that hill when theres one with no brakes ( having had one little incident that landed a rather large trailer in the ditch, thank goodness, I've got a whopper of a low range on my truck and was able to yank 10k out ) and we used to be out in the middle of nowhere, but urban sprawl has turned our used to be dirt road into a friggen racetrack making these kinds of manuvers a lot more dangerous than they used to .

it'll have to be a pull straight up and lower into position with the tractor following for safety. then tires on tractor pushbar, shove it up on the lift.. not the cleanest way, but about the safest considering what we have to deal with.

01-26-2013 06:46 PM

killeratrod

case of beer to one of your friends = trailer or tow truck to bring her up the hill.

01-26-2013 05:53 PM

RLDSL

Quote:

Originally Posted by killeratrod

Ok it has been sitting for 40 years. is there room to screw around in the grill with out messing it up , if so try to cut up the radiator as it is most likely shot anyway. This may just give you room to pop it. Just a though.

Now thats a thought. I'll definitely have to get it up on the lift first, but that would be the least damaging point of entry. Ive already spoken with my custom rad guy about building one for this thing, so it's already going for scrap.

I was hoping to get the hood popped where its sitting to be able to do some basic brake repair before moving it up the hill to get it on teh lift at the shop as it gets a tad dicy without brakes, but if we have to, we'll figure something out.
( thats what lots of extra folks madly flinging logs under tires are for

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